“Hues”: An Art Exhibit by Fine Arts Graduates

A group of nine, 2011, Bachelor of Fine Arts graduates, curated an art exhibit at the M.F. Hussain Gallery, entitled “Hues,” on October 18 – 24, 2011.

Jamia Journal spoke to, Reshma Chongtham, one of the artists present at the exhibit.

Following is an edited excerpt of her interview:

 

JJ: Can you tell us a little about your work.

Reshma: In my paintings, I’m trying to show from my own experience, and it is related to our day-to-day lives, and how I am influenced by every small thing that I see and experience.

I have different topics that I paint about.

For example,  the one titled “Love me Dear Neighbor.” In it you can see two men sitting around a table; they are very close neighbors, they talk, they help each other, but they are separated by a fence, even though they are close.

I’ve made their table in the pattern of a chess board because their minds are very calculative, very competitive, they are very opportunistic, even though they are very close to each other, they are very selfish and are concerned about themselves.

And this is how it is in our society, we are very close and yet we act like enemies sometimes, we don’t help each other. People are very self-centered. And that is what I’m trying to say through this painting.

 

JJ: Tell us about the painting with the little girl. The context of this painting doesn’t look Indian, it looks very European, is that so?

Reshma: Yes but, I’m not trying to focus on anything like European or Indian context. It’s just an imaginary girl. The painting is titled “The Choice.”

In this painting you have this girl who is living on the edge and she’s crawling, and is a bit confused, however, she has already entered a door, she has chosen her path. But she is still thinking about the other door, the other choice.

She has everything on this particular road, represented by the umbrella, the crown, she is a princess, but she is still thinking about what’s behind the other door, so to speak. I’m trying to show that even though she has everything she is not satisfied with what she has.

But if you’ll notice the only thing different behind the other door is the color of the polka dots on the kind of top she’s wearing. So everything is practically the same on the other side.

My message is: even though we all have stepped onto a particular path, all paths are the same.

JJ: Now that you’ve graduated from Jamia, what are your future plans?

Reshma: I plan to get admitted into the Masters program for Fine Arts .

JJ: If somebody wanted to buy your art work, can they?

Reshma: Yes, my art work is for sale.

[Reshma can be reached via email at: [email protected]
Or at her Art Studio, which is located at: 78-Goel Bhawan, Hanuman Mandir Lane, Bharat Nagar, New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 65]

The other eight artists in the group were: Aliya Maryam, Amrita Khairaliya, Ekta Gandhi, Ghazala Fatima, Laishram Meena Devi, Nupur Rastogi, Shabana Raza and Simrita Singh.

Pictures From the Event

*click on an image to enlarge